Register now to get rid of these ads!

POLL: How old were you when you built your first car

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by DIRTYT, Dec 27, 2005.

?

how old were ya eh?

Poll closed Dec 31, 2005.
  1. 15-18 but had some help

    63.9%
  2. 19-25 learned it as i went

    27.1%
  3. 26-40 im a late bloomer

    9.0%
  4. 40+ i lost my job and couldnt pay for the work.

    0.7%
Multiple votes are allowed.
  1. Junkyard Jan
    Joined: Jan 7, 2005
    Posts: 738

    Junkyard Jan
    Member Emeritus

    With help, I built my first circle burner...a '53 Ford Vic when I was 17. We chopped the top off, bubble gum welded in a roll cage from another car, built up the springs, made shock mounts, chicken bars and all of that good stuff. The only thing that I didn't build or have a hand in other than tuning was the motor....a Merc Flattie that came from the car we cut the cage out of. So I expect this counts.....;)

    Jan
     
  2. 31Apickup
    Joined: Nov 8, 2005
    Posts: 3,578

    31Apickup
    Member

    I got my 31 Pickup as a basket case when I was 13 in 1975. My Dad and I started on it, then it sat. I fooled around with several other cars (which provided a good learning curve), then got serious with the 31 when I was around 21 and had it on the road at by the time I was 24 doing all of the work on it myself. I've made some changes on it, since as in the early days cash was in short supply. Still driving it, the most dependable vehicle I've ever owned!
     
  3. oneyed
    Joined: Oct 16, 2005
    Posts: 136

    oneyed
    BANNED

    15 and the Old man would just come out to the driveway and bust my balls. A year later he decided to help... bastard
     
  4. fab32
    Joined: May 14, 2002
    Posts: 13,985

    fab32
    Member Emeritus

    Bought my '29 coupe when I was 14. Worked on it for about a year before i took it to Pennsylvania and spent the summer helping on my grandfathers farm at which time I took the flathead out of his retired '47 school bus and transplanted it in the A just in time to get my license.


    Frank
     
  5. Mutt
    Joined: Feb 6, 2003
    Posts: 3,219

    Mutt
    Member

    Bought a '34 Plymouth coupe when I was 15. Put a buick motor and LaSalle transmission in it, and had it running by 17. I guess that since I didn't do floors or a body off it doesn't count, but the body didn't need it. It was only 25 years old. Even the paint and mohair was good.



    Mutt
     
  6. beatnik
    Joined: Nov 8, 2002
    Posts: 2,209

    beatnik
    Member

    I’ve been playing with cars since I was 15. I was 25 when I rebuilt my first car from top to bottom, including paint. 12 point cage mini-tubbed, and a fair amount of fabrication. It was my first car and after 3 years of abuse sat for 7 years until I was comfortable with the type of work I wanted to do to it.

    There were two more cars after that that I’ve had every nut and bolt out of, but same thing, remove, repair or replace. I really don’t consider that a build because your taking parts off and either replacing them or rebuilding them and putting them back on. A bolt on brake kit don’t make you a builder.

    I was 32 when I built my roadster, and it’s the first car I built from the ground up that wasn’t something you could take apart and put back together again, because there was nothing to start with. It had the most fabrication, and I still don’t feel like I know what I’m doing, but every build gets better.

    Gus
     
  7. hiboyroadsterboy
    Joined: Nov 16, 2003
    Posts: 1,864

    hiboyroadsterboy
    Member
    from Mass

    I was 7 when my dad gave me a 200 dollor 32 roadster body,I started building the car when I was 19,and finished it when I was 24,I'm 25 now.
     
  8. 4-pot
    Joined: Aug 12, 2005
    Posts: 181

    4-pot
    Member

    I started working on cars when I was 14 . when I was 16 I was doing minor customizing and some pinstriping. My first big project was in 1959, I was 17, I channeled my hopped up 40 ford 2 door sedan. The fenders were left at stock height and the body was channeled the width of the frame. Looking back it probably was not that safe , I remember using coat hangers as welding rod.
     
  9. THEKID49
    Joined: Apr 24, 2005
    Posts: 583

    THEKID49
    Member

    I was 13 when I bought my Anglia. It was all original and the first thing me and my dad did was chop it. Built a 2x3 chassis, 351 Ford, and narrowed 9in. A '40 Ford dash fit perfect. We also extended the hood, frenched the headlights. made custom taillights, and extended the wheelwells. The front wheels are old Mickey Thompson 5 spokes my dad bought new in '66 to put on his new Mustang. I drove the car in primer for years before it got wrecked. Once we fixed the body my dad painted it a color he made called "statutory grape". I still have the car and drive it once in a while.
     

    Attached Files:

  10. InjectorTim
    Joined: Oct 2, 2003
    Posts: 2,241

    InjectorTim
    Member

    I was 17 when I got the car, turned 18 shortly thereafter and now and I'm picking up tempo, hopefully I'll kick some ass this winter to get the Buick ready for the summer season. I have alot of help.
     
  11. Torkwrench
    Joined: Jan 28, 2005
    Posts: 2,739

    Torkwrench
    Member

    I bought my 55, in 1977 when I was 14. I installed a 283 and a Muncie 4 speed, with help from one of my older brothers, the same year. Drove it all through high school, and then parked it for about 15 years. Finally rebuilt the whole car, finishing it in 1998. Still has the same engine, (now bored to 301), trans, etc in it today.:D Best time at the strip,...9:20:D :D :D ........in the 1/8 mile.:eek: :eek: :eek:
     

    Attached Files:

  12. johnny bondo
    Joined: Aug 20, 2005
    Posts: 1,547

    johnny bondo
    Member
    from illinois

    during the year from when i turned 12 to when i turned 13 my father and i built a 32 ford four door sedan street rod for a family friend. we got the car in original shape still running and driving but being the young lad i was didnt realize how rare this was. spent a whole month by myself paint striping off the original black laquer that was still mint. once again i was 12 and didnt think the way i do today. well, the guy we were building it for had a custom frame made, z ed in the rear and zed in the front also. we got the body on the frame put in a very built 350 and were getting ready to paint it cadillac purple when the cancer that had been plaguing my friend took him. the car sat for a year not being worked on when the mans wife gave it to his best friend who is finshing it as we speak. atleast its getting done.


    JR
     
  13. modelagarage
    Joined: Dec 18, 2005
    Posts: 17

    modelagarage
    Member

    13 or 14 hard to remember. It was a model T with fronty head and ruckstel rear. Somebody had started to make a dirt tracker but gave up. It was a real basket case. Literally all the engine parts were in peach baskets and orange crates. A friend helped load it on a trailer and we took it to my house. From there on it was worked on after school for about a year. Trying to find tires during WWII was the big problem. We ended up with a mismash but it ran. The so called body was wood and canvas-painted with house paint.

    After I found the HAMB I started remembering all the old stuff.
    Come by the winery and see us in our natural envirornment.

    ""never enter a battle of wits half armed"
     
  14. leon renaud
    Joined: Nov 12, 2005
    Posts: 1,937

    leon renaud
    Member
    from N.E. Ct.

    I'm not sure this fully qualifies but my step dad got me my first car at age 10 it was a farm truck/tractor beastie.I did all the work on it and thought I did some cool things to it atleast for 10 years old but truth is it was all butchery but it was a 20$ rig in 63. Bomber buckets,home made shifter ,clear plexi glass roof insert 32 comercial rad.shell.pin striping done with artist/model brushes (just imagine how good that looked!)I spent almost my entire summer on that mess believe it or not we sold it that fall for 150$ and a running but sad 57 ranchero
     
  15. Tha Driver
    Joined: May 11, 2005
    Posts: 903

    Tha Driver
    BANNED
    from S.E. USA

    Does rebuilding my first total at 14 (with dad's help) count? It was a '61 Galaxie 500.
    ~ Paul
    aka "Tha Driver"

    Easy on the Giggle Cream!
     
  16. CadillacKid
    Joined: Oct 15, 2002
    Posts: 1,507

    CadillacKid
    Member

    I messed around with cars, rebuilding motors, fixing rotted floors, two toned my '55 Chevy with Krylon rattle cans...it zebra striped like a bitch too...but I never really did a full on all the way build till about 20...It's been all down hill since :D
     
  17. i got my current project (been working on it for a while) when i was in 8th grade, 2 cars later i'm still working on it.
     
  18. Cyclone Kevin
    Joined: Apr 15, 2002
    Posts: 4,249

    Cyclone Kevin
    Alliance Vendor

    We're talking 1st Hot Rod now right:confused: Cause I had a bunch of projects just like I still do before I was legal driving age;) :D

    I got my 1st 34 3W when I was 21, Waited about a month to tear into it & when I did I found all kinds of sh*t wrong with it. If I'd driven it with the front cross member that was in it, I wouldn't probably be here-Lol.
    pulled the body off the frame, boxed the front & rear sections-made my own templates & boxing plates did the reworking the rear spring set up,welded in the "Sneak & Jerks" engine mounts along with the trans set up, didn't have a cherry picker available @ the time so my girlfriend @ the time - Suzanne & I put the engine through the bottom of the frame (Ala last gen Camaro).
    It had the right stance and is still my favorite Hot Rod-Although I didn't know it @ the time. It allowed me to buy my house though and I did keep some cool key pieces off it for a future incarnation of it albeit with a nice Flatty though:D .
     
  19. kropduster
    Joined: Oct 19, 2005
    Posts: 681

    kropduster
    Member

    15-17 1956 f-100 272 3-twos, ram horns and a 292 4bbl cam from a grain truck,4-spd, 57 front axle(1 1/2 lower), dearched leaves, cut down to short bed, shaved everything, louvered hood and tailgate,49 merc taillights. not really a frame-off, but as close as you can get.
     

Share This Page

Register now to get rid of these ads!

Archive

Copyright © 1995-2021 The Jalopy Journal: Steal our stuff, we'll kick your teeth in. Terms of Service. Privacy Policy.

Atomic Industry
Forum software by XenForo™ ©2010-2014 XenForo Ltd.